Words / C2

FATH-uh-m/ˈfæðəm/

To fathom is to understand something deep or puzzling after thought: cannot fathom why, hard to fathom. Understand and work out are everyday; a fathom is also a nautical depth (about 1.8 m). Unfathomable is the adjective. Do not write fathom for a missing file you have not looked for.

Meaning

To understand something mysterious or complicated after thought.

Examples

• “Nobody could fathom why the embargoed CSV was in a shared drive.”
• “Understand is everyday. Grasp and plumb are cousins. Unfathomable mystery is the adjective. Six fathoms is depth. If the folder is still unopened, the problem is search, not metaphysics.”

Good to know

Work out; grasp (often cannot fathom). Everyday: understand. Also a nautical depth. Adjective: unfathomable. Look in the folder first.

Near in meaning

understand

New